It is customary in many cases for a middle arm rest of the front seat of a vehicle to be used as a storage compartment or provided with areas where articles may be placed or deposited. In particular, cup and can holders, ashtrays or oddments trays are often fastened to the front end of the arm rest. When not in use, they may be inserted into the arm rest to eliminate risks of injury and avoid clutter. Door panels are often provided with small pockets for holding maps or small items. Door armrests may be provided with a hinged upper portion to facilitate storage of small oddments or maps.
In airplanes all handbags and pocketbooks must be stored either in the overhead compartment or under the forward seat. Such precautions are necessary because they can become missiles in the event of severe turbulence or a crash. In airplanes, the greatest risk is during take-off and landing but in car travel the risk of accident is continuous. The need to store pocketbooks is therefore continuous.
However, within the limited interior space of most vehicles, especially those constructed without a middle armrest, typically there are not provisions for storage of larger articles such as a women's handbag. Handbags are often placed on top of a seat within the passenger compartment or they are dropped into the floor area for storage during driving. These unsecured articles may create a dangerous condition in the event of an accident, wherein they may act as projectiles flying though the air.
Women have long sought for a place to store their handbags to be conveniently available when needed. There are innumerable examples of working women and stay at home moms taking their children to school or elsewhere and passing a drive-in to pick up coffee, a soda, dinner or a snack. The handbag is often in the back seat and a hassle ensues to retrieve it. The same is true when passing a toll booth. No storage area exists that is specifically constructed to accommodate a handbag.
In addition, theft of personal articles from automobiles is an ever-growing problem. The use of vehicle alarms, while of benefit in reducing the number of actual vehicle thefts, is of little value in reducing the number of so-called “smash & grab” robberies. These robberies are events of opportunity, often precipitated by the perpetrator's ability to view the object of their desire, at which point they can quickly break in, grab the merchandise, and quickly get away, before the tripping of an alarm device becomes a matter of any consequence.
What is lacking in the art is a device for securely and inconspicuously storing valuable items, such as a woman's handbag, within an automobile door cavity so as to provide convenience, increase safety and reduce the likelihood of theft. The storage space should provide some degree of side impact shock absorption and the storage space should provide some disincentive to break into a car for valuables.